Graduate school

See also

Research at the Department for Continuing Education

The Department has an active interdisciplinary research community, particularly with respect to public engagement and practitioner-based initiatives which build on the research interests of our academic staff and over 80 research students.

Including a daily lecture programme given by leading scholars and distinguished speakers.

Providing an opportunity to study and live at Exeter College, one of Oxford University's oldest colleges.

The academic programme consists of

study in small interactive seminar groups with specialist tutors; and

a daily lecture programme given by leading scholars and distinguished speakers.

Graduate applicants choose two seminars from:

Anglo-Saxon Literature and Culture

Shakespeare and Politics: Then and Now

The English Romantic Poets

The Public and Private Jane Austen

Victorian Fiction

Modernist Fiction

Contemporary Literature.

Undergraduate students take two mandatory courses:

Critical Reading

Shakespeare on Stage and Screen

Each seminar has two two-hour meetings per week, and classes will usually contain no more than 14 students.

Contact hours

The programme provides a minimum of 46.5 contact hours, comprising:

24 hours of seminar meetings (12 hours per seminar); and

22.5 hours of lectures (15 lectures, each lasting 1.5 hours).

Social programme

A range of optional social events will be offered throughout the summer school. These are likely to include: a walking tour of Oxford, after-dinner talks and discussions; and weekend excursions to sites of literary and/or historical interest.

Most of these activities incur additional costs, which are payable by students in Oxford.

Beyond the summer school, Oxford is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city with a busy cultural and social scene offering a wide variety of plays and shows, concerts, films and exhibitions.

Programme details

Timetable

Please check the seminar timetables carefully to ensure that your first and second choice courses do not run at the same time.

Seminar options

Graduate courses

Anglo-Saxon Literature and Culture

The Anglo-Saxon period has been seen as a dark age, full of superstition and ignorance, but this course will argue the opposite; that the Anglo-Saxons were imaginative and sophisticated, able to create literature and artworks that can still stimulate the imagination over a millennium later. We shall explore such seminal works as the epic Beowulf, elegies, riddles, and religious poems. Alongside these texts with their evocative descriptions of lively court life and rich religious activity, we shall scrutinise works of art, including the Sutton Hoo treasures, Ruthwell Cross, and illuminated manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels. Setting the literature against its complex backdrop will allow deeper insights into the many layers of meaning.

Tutor: Dr Janina Ramirez is Course Director for the Undergraduate Certificate and Diploma in the History of Art at Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. She also writes and presents documentaries for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Shakespeare and Politics: Then and Now

All of Shakespeare’s plays are bound up in the politics of their time, but at given points in history some have seemed more obviously ‘political’ than others. In this seminar we shall discuss plays that had a particular political dimension in the early modern period - notably Richard II, Richard III and Macbeth - and speculate on Shakespeare’s contribution to Sir Thomas More. We shall then consider the titles that can have political dimensions today, such as Henry V, The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice.

Tutor: Dr John O’Connor is Visiting Senior Lecturer at Cornell University, USA, and was formerly Principal Lecturer in English at Westminster College, Oxford. He has also taught at the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon.

The English Romantic Poets

The ‘Romantic’ period saw one of the great flowerings of creativity in England, particularly in poetry, alongside a great radicalisation of politics. This course will consider the major poets of the period in their intellectual context, exploring their formal innovations and interests in older traditions, and their new ideas of selfhood and politics. We shall focus on the works of William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Blake, and John Keats, with opportunities to explore the works of Walter Scott, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Mary Robinson, John Clare, and others.

Tutor: Dr Tom MacFaul is Lecturer in English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford.

The Public and Private Jane Austen

This course spans Austen’s whole authorial career, from her earliest childhood works through her published novels, culminating in her final manuscripts. It looks at texts unpublished in her lifetime alongside the celebrated fiction in order to appreciate her parallel authorial lives at home and abroad. Much of Austen’s writing was devised for a circle of intimates to whose eyes it was meant to be confined. By comparing what she wrote for friends and relatives with the novels written for a general audience, we will be able to examine Austen’s evolving conceptions of authorship, character, history, style, landscape, and narrative voice.

Tutor: Dr Freya Johnston is a Fellow and Lecturer in English at St Anne’s College, Oxford, and Director of Graduate Studies in the Faculty of English. She has recently co-edited, with Professor Kathryn Sutherland, a new text of Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings for Oxford World’s Classics (2017).

Victorian Fiction

The great Victorian novelists produced searching analyses of their society, exploring with pathos, passion and humour its often contradictory values - social aspiration, romantic yearning, moral fervour and religious doubt. Dealing with such issues in compelling narratives, Charles Dickens, George Eliot and Thomas Hardy showed how the lives of individuals were enmeshed in the cultural forces of the age. On this course we shall examine three of their masterpieces: Great Expectations, The Mill on the Floss and Tess of the d’Urbervilles. As well as discussing the books’ central themes, the course will pay close attention to their structure and use of language.

Tutor: Dr David Grylls is a tutor for Oxford University Department for Continuing Education and Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford. His publications include books on Charles Dickens, George Gissing and Victorian parent-child relationships. He reviews contemporary fiction for The Sunday Times and critical books for the Times Literary Supplement.

Modernist Fiction

The broad range of novels and stories produced in the Modernist era was pivotal in introducing fundamental ideals of innovation and retrenchment into English fiction. Authors as diverse as Virginia Woolf, James Joyce and Katherine Mansfield shared a commitment to challenging prevailing narrative techniques, while at the same time seeking to realign their work with literary traditions as they found them. By examining some key prose fiction - Mrs Dalloway, Dubliners and Collected Stories- within the wider framework of their authors’ other books, and those of their contemporaries, this course aims to demonstrate the major premises motivating the Modernists’ endeavour, showing how they differed from their predecessors, and what effect their writing has had on fiction of the succeeding century.

Tutor: Dr John Ballam is Director of the Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing at Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. His research specialism is in the late-Victorian and Modernist periods.

Contemporary Literature

This course will explore the vitality and variety of twenty-first century British and Irish writing. The course will take in fiction, short stories, poetry and drama to consider a range of themes, including the relationship between narrative and truth-telling, formal experimentation, themes of loss and recovery, and mediation between the past and the future. A selection of challenging and provocative works will be discussed, to include Julian Barnes's The Sense of an Ending, Kazuo Ishiguro's Nocturnes, Ian McEwan's Solar, Seamus Heaney's District and Circle, Christopher Reid's A Scattering, and Caryl Churchill's A Number.

Tutor: Dr Tara Stubbs is Associate Professor in English Literature and Creative Writing at Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, and Director of the English Literature Summer School. She is the author of a range of publications on modernist poetry and fiction, with a focus on Irish and American literature.

Undergraduate courses

Critical Reading

Close critical analysis is at the heart of the study of literature. We shall look at a selection of poetry and prose from the 16th to 21st centuries, paying attention to different aspects of language and form, and using key concepts and terms of the critical idiom, in order to develop and hone the skills required for attentive and effective analyses of literary texts.

Tutor: Dr Edward Clarke teaches English literature for Oxford University Department for Continuing Education and St Catherine’s College, Oxford. His books include The Vagabond Spirit of Poetry (Iff Books, 2014) and The Later Affluence of W B Yeats and Wallace Stevens (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).

Shakespeare on Stage and Screen

In this seminar we shall explore the many different ways in which Shakespeare can be performed on stage and screen. While referring to a wide range of titles, we shall focus our discussion on interpretations of three plays - Twelfth Night, Henry V and Hamlet. Viewing extracts from British and American Shakespeare films, we shall investigate some key differences between stage and screen Shakespeare, consider the variety of approaches taken by directors, and compare different interpretations of the same play or role.

Tutor: Dr John O’Connor is Visiting Senior Lecturer at Cornell University, USA, and was formerly Principal Lecturer in English at Westminster College, Oxford. He has also taught at the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Certification

All students who complete the programme will receive an `attendance certificate`.

Those seeking credit at their home institution may request a `detailed certificate` which lists contact hours (for lectures and seminars), an assessment of their contribution to seminar discussions, grades achieved for written work, and the number of private study hours required. Certificates will usually be sent to students' home institutions within a month of the end of the summer school.

As Oxford University does not offer credit for this summer school, those wishing to obtain credit from their home institution for attending this programme must make appropriate arrangements with that institution in advance.

Accommodation

Location

Founded in 1314, Exeter College is one of Oxford University`s oldest colleges and is situated in a prime city centre location.

Bedrooms and meals

Students who choose to attend the summer school on a residential basis will have a single study bedroom.

Bedrooms are located up the four to nine floors of a staircase; bath and/or shower and toilet facilities on each staircase are shared. A limited number of rooms have private bathroom facilities (shower and toilet) and these are available for a higher fee. Early application for these rooms is essential.

Students cannot be accommodated at Exeter College either prior to or beyond their programme dates. Family members and/or friends who are not enrolled on this summer school cannot be accommodated in college.

Residential students will take meals in the college's dining hall. Breakfast and lunch are self-service with a range of options available; dinner is a served set menu meal. Should applicants have any dietary requirements (eg vegetarian, gluten-free) they are required to complete the relevant section on the application form.

Please be aware that accommodation at Exeter College is limited and may not be available for those who submit their applications towards the end of the admissions period.

Non-residential students

Students who choose to attend the summer school on a non-residential basis are responsible for finding their own accommodation. Information on accommodation in Oxford is available at:

Fees

Payment

Programme fees

Residential: Standard (shared bathroom facilities) - £2,945Fees include tuition; access to IT facilities and libraries; accommodation in a standard single room with shared bathroom facilities for the nights of Sunday 2 July to Friday 21 July 2017 inclusive; meals in hall from dinner on Sunday 2 July to breakfast on Saturday 22 July 2017 (except lunch on Saturdays and Sundays).

Residential: En suite (private bathroom facilities) - £3,225Fees include tuition; access to IT facilities and libraries; accommodation in a single en suite room with private shower and toilet for the nights of Sunday 2 July to Friday 21 July 2017 inclusive; meals in hall from dinner on Sunday 2 July to breakfast on Saturday 22 July 2017 (except lunch on Saturdays and Sundays).

Non-residential - £1,300Fees include tuition; access to IT facilities and libraries; no accommodation; no meals, except the programme`s formal opening and closing dinners on Sunday 2 July and Friday 21 July 2017, respectively.

There are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for applicants.

Invoicing and payment

Successful applicants who accept their offer of a place on the summer school will be invoiced for the appropriate programme fee once they have been formally enrolled on the programme.

Invoices will be emailed to students together with full instructions for payment. Fees may be paid online with a credit or debit card, or by bank transfer.

Students are required to pay the full fee within 30 days of the date on which their invoice was issued. Late applicants (see 'Apply for this course', below) are required to pay the full fee within 7 days of their invoice date.

Please note that:

students are expected to take out vacation cancellation insurance to cover the programme fee and travel costs (see 'Cancellations', below);

a student's place on the summer school is not confirmed until their fees have been paid in full;

places will not be held for students whose fees are not paid in full by the due date; and

in no circumstances will students be admitted to the summer school unless all fees have been paid in full.

When you have paid your fees

Your place on the summer school is confirmed as soon as your payment is received by OUDCE.

You will receive a receipt for your payment: by email if paid online, or by post if paid by bank transfer.

If you are a non-EEA student you will receive a letter confirming your enrolment and course details which may be used to support your application for a short-term study visa: this letter will be sent by post (see 'Level and demands', above).

Cancellations

A contract between OUDCE and a student comes into being when a student accepts an offer of a place on the summer school.

You have the right to cancel this contract at any time within 14 days, beginning on the day you accepted the offer.

Please be aware that if you cancel your place at any time after the expiry of the 14-day period you will not be entitled to a refund of the price paid for the summer school.

If you wish to cancel your place on the summer school you must inform the Programme Administrator by email at ipenglit@conted.ox.ac.uk

You are expected to take out vacation cancellation insurance to cover the programme fee and travel costs, and you should consult your travel agent and/or insurer for information and advice. OUDCE does not provide any insurance cover.

OUDCE reserves the right to alter details of any course should illness or any other emergency prevent a tutor from teaching, and to cancel a course or seminar if exceptionally low enrolment would make it educationally unviable.

The status of this course will be reviewed on 1 May 2017. If it is likely that individual seminars or the course may be cancelled, all those affected will be notified by email within 7 days, and possible options clearly explained.

If you have not heard from OUDCE by 8 May 2017, you should assume that the course and your seminars will be running; there is no need to contact us to confirm. You may wish to delay finalising your travel arrangements until after this date.

The application process

Please ensure all sections are completed fully, clearly, and in BLOCK CAPITALS.

The form must be accompanied by:

A brief statement of purpose (350-400 words) detailing your academic reasons for wishing to attend the summer school. This should include what you hope to get out of the programme, and what you are likely to contribute to the intellectual life of the summer school. This may include details of literature courses you have previously taken, or the relevance of the summer school to your present course of study or professional development. If you are applying for the graduate strand of the programme it is essential that you clearly state your reasons for wishing to enrol on specific seminars.

Copies of your university transcripts. These must be in English.

In the case of non-native speakers of English, official evidence of English language competency.

A letter of recommendation, ideally from a person who knows your academic work, though in the case of those no longer engaged in courses of academic study, recommendations from other sources (eg your employer or head teacher) will be accepted. A reference from a family member is not acceptable. Please note that the letter of recommendation must refer specifically to your application to the Oxford University English Literature Summer School.

Four photographs (UK passport-sized - ie 4.5cm high x 3.5cm wide), with your full name printed on the back of each.

You may wish to send your application by a courier service or registered post for speed and/or security of delivery.

We are currently unable to receive applications by email.

After you have submitted your application

You will receive an email from ipenglit@conted.ox.ac.uk confirming receipt of your application materials, and informing you when your application will be reviewed by the admissions panel.

Application deadlines

This summer school operates a 'gathered field' closing date system by which applications are reviewed fairly and equally in batches at specific dates throughout the admissions period rather than on a first come, first served or rolling basis.

There is a limited number of places available on every graduate-level course within each gathered field, and in assigning successful applicants to seminar groups the admissions panel will pay particular attention to applicants' personal statements.

There are three deadlines for applications:

Gathered field 1 - 15 January 2017

Gathered field 2 - 1 March 2017

Gathered field 3 - 15 April 2017

Subject to the availability of places, late applications may be considered on a first come, first served basis until 15 May 2017.

Notification of the admission panel's decision

Applicants will normally be notified of the panel's decision by email from ipenglit@conted.ox.ac.uk within 14 days of the relevant gathered field deadline.

Applicants who are offered a place on the summer school must respond in writing within 14 days to accept or decline the offer. In accepting an offer of a place applicants are committing to paying their programme fees in full by the due date.

Late applicants will be notified within 7 days of their materials having been received, and successful applicants will then have 7 days in which to accept or decline the offer of a place.

Enrolment

Students will be formally enrolled on the summer school once they have accepted their offer of a place.

The enrolment process includes the issuing of invoices, which will be emailed to students together with full instructions for payment (see 'Payment', above).

Further course information

Students will receive the following information by email from ipenglit@conted.ox.ac.uk prior to the summer school:

In April 2017 - academic and course information, including detailed course content and required preparatory reading*

In April 2017 - joining instructions, containing a wealth of practical information to assist students as they prepare to travel to to the summer school (eg how to get to Oxford, arrangements at Exeter College)*

In May 2017 - details of the lecture programme

In June 2017 - details of the social programme

In June 2017 - confirmation of arrival day arrangements.

*Successful gathered field 3 applicants will receive this information on enrolment.

Any queries?

Please contact the Programme Administrator by email at ipenglit@conted.ox.ac.uk

Level and demands

Participants are expected to

undertake preparatory reading in advance of the programme;

attend all seminar sessions and lectures;

be actively engaged with their seminar topics;

submit an assignment of 2,000-3,000 words in length for each seminar taken; and

undertake approximately 96 hours of private study during the programme (elements of private study will include: reading and other preparation between seminar meetings, work in libraries, writing papers, etc).

Important information regarding immigration and visa requirements

If you are an European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss national you do not need a visa to enter the UK to participate in the summer school. You are free to enter the UK as long as you show your EEA or Swiss passport on arrival.

If the system shows that you require a visa: you should apply for a short-term study visa, which allows students over the age of 18 to study either part-time or full-time for up to 6 months in the UK.

If the system shows that you do not require a visa: you will still need to bring certain documents to show at the border in order to be admitted as a short-term student.

If you are not an EEA or Swiss national we strongly recommend that you establish whether you will require a visa before submitting your application. Please check current visa processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in the country you are applying from. You should ensure your summer school application is submitted as early as possible to allow yourself sufficient time to complete the visa application process.

The Programme Administrator will provide all non-EEA students with a standard format letter confirming enrolment and course details once their fees have been paid in full.

For legal reasons the Programme Administrator is not permitted to provide any visa advice to applicants: all such enquiries should be submitted to Oxford University’s student visa and immigration advisers via email at student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk

Disabled students (including those with mobility difficulties)

The aim of Oxford University Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE) is to treat all students equally and welcomes applications from people with disabilities. Individuals` needs are taken into account as far as possible, providing reasonable adaptations and assistance within the resources available. We ask that people let us know of any disability or special need (confidentially if required) so that we can help them participate as fully as possible.

When applying for OUDCE`s college-based summer schools, prospective students with mobility difficulties or visual or hearing impairments may want to make preliminary enquiries to the Programme Administrator, as the age and layout of these colleges often makes them user-unfriendly (although adaptations are often possible). Oxford, as an ancient city, tends to be difficult to navigate for people with disabilities. The number of very old buildings, designed in an age less sensitive to issues of disability, makes access to much of the city centre difficult. However, OUDCE will do as much as it is able to make study with the department possible.

Applicants should contact us if they will have problems gaining access to a bedroom or a teaching room that is located on upper or basement floors, or to the college dining hall (which is reached via a flight of stairs).

Selection criteria

This is an intensive programme of study taught to an informed international audience.

Applicants should be confident that they are academically and linguistically prepared for such a programme.

Academic requirements

For the main (graduate) programme applications are welcomed from:

graduates with a subject-appropriate academic background; and

teachers of English literature in schools and colleges.

For the undergraduate strand applications are welcomed from:

Senior undergraduates who have completed two years of a full-time university degree course in English literature.

English language requirements

As students are expected to participate fully in seminar discussions and are required to produce written work it is important that applicants can demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency in the four language skills - listening, reading, writing and speaking.

Applicants for whom English is not their first language must provide evidence of their competency in the form of an original certificate or a certified copy that is not more than two years old on the date the summer school starts. These applicants must satisfy one of the following requirements:

IELTS Academic - minimum overall score of 6.5, with not less than 6.5 in each of the four components

TOEFL iBT - minimum overall score of 100, with not less than 25 in each of the four components

However, non-native speakers of English who have successfully completed a full-time degree-level programme at a university where English is the language of instruction or who have significant business and professional experience in an English-speaking environment may not need to provide a certificate of English language qualification. Please contact the Programme Administrator for further details.